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Bookstores Athenaeum and Scheltema join forces

 - Lotterynews

With retroactive effect from 1st January 2024, Athenaeum Boekhandel BV (established in 1966) acquires the shares of Novamedia in Boekhandel Scheltema (established in 1853).

Two Amsterdam bookstores with rich literary histories are coming together. This merger ensures the future of both bookstores, each maintaining its distinctive and iconic presence well beyond Amsterdam and the Netherlands.

Healthy future
In 2023, both bookstores sold more books, but due to rising costs, they incurred losses in 2022 and 2023. Paulien Loerts, Director/owner of Athenaeum Boekhandel BV, explains: “By collaborating behind the scenes, we believe we can secure a healthy future for both bookstores. The most crucial aspect is our ability to continue investing in our exceptional booksellers. They are the ones who create welcoming spaces in our bookstores, offering the best selection and excellent service. After the Polare bankruptcy a decade ago, Novamedia took excellent care of Scheltema, enabling it to stand on its own feet and continue growing independently.”

Both bookstores will continue to operate side by side, sharing general services such as customer support, import, finances, and human resources. Gretske de Jong remains the store director of Scheltema.

Ideal buyer
Imme Rog (Member of the Executive Board, Novamedia): “We acquired Scheltema at the time because we wanted to preserve this ‘world-renowned’ bookstore for the city. For Novamedia, Athenaeum is the ideal buyer to secure Scheltema’s future. With our Postcode Lotteries in five countries, we can now donate over 900 million euros annually to charitable causes, thanks to all players. And that’s where our focus lies: raising as much money as possible for the greater good. With Paulien Loerts as the owner, Scheltema, along with its publishing houses and bookstores, will receive the attention it deserves. We wish Paulien and her team a successful future.”

Gretske de Jong (store Director of Scheltema): “Novamedia has consistently shown us trust and support over the past 10 years. We are immensely grateful for that. Fortunately, Scheltema is doing well, and we can now take this next step. We look forward to collaborating with the team at Athenaeum, with whom we have always had a very collegial relationship.”

Local bookstores
Paulien Loerts: “I firmly believe in bookstores as commercial and cultural community hubs, as the finest places in every city or village. Because costs continue to rise and because we want to maintain the service and assortment of our bookstores, we must either grow or become much smaller. Last year, we reached out to Novamedia to explore collaboration possibilities. Those discussions ultimately led to the acquisition of shares. I am very excited about this new partnership and encourage everyone to buy books from local bookstores.”